Family Bonds
by writelikeademon
Summary: AU Futurefic. After Prue's death, Piper and Leo begin to abuse magic, culminating in their turning to evil and joining the Source. Twenty one years later, it's up to Piper and Phoebe's children to mend their family's rift. Read and REVIEW! Updated 6.24.07
1. Chapter I

_2022_

He shimmered home, an abandoned church in a secluded wood. The point was unable to be plotted on any mortal map; dark magic protected the spot from being found. The Source himself had given them this place to call their own. The walls were made of a dark, heavy stone, and the few windows were stained glass. Long tapers, in sconces on the wall, were the only source of light.

He wiped the blood from his face on his sleeve; he'd just come from killing a witch, and it had gotten messy. Now he could add shapeshifting to his list of powers.

As much as he loved the feeling of new power coursing in his veins, all he wanted at that moment was to see his wife. He knew where she'd be: her potions room.

Down the dark hall he walked and leaned against the doorway. His heart skipped a beat when he saw her, as it always did. She looked as beautiful as she had the day he met her.

Silky ebony hair rippled down her back like waves. Her brown eyes were hypnotic, able to switch from cool intensity to enraged passion instantly. Her body was lithe and taut beneath her ceremonial black robes. Her skin was pale as a vampire's; she rarely ventured out into the light. She hadn't aged a day in twenty-one years; her magic kept her body preserved from the day she gave up her humanity. Around her neck was a gold medallion, etched with an inverted pentagram, denoting her position as a Dark Priestess.

Piper looked up from the cauldron bubbling before her, a piece of sage dangling from her fingertips. Her scarlet lips parted in a knowing smile. "What are you looking at?" she asked, her tone betraying her amusement.

"You," her husband replied, moving from the doorway into the potions room. The cavern was lit with numerous torches, creating shadows across Piper's face. Leo lifted a hand to stroke her cheek, before kissing her. "What's this you're brewing?"

"Paralysis potion," she explained, tossing the sage in the pot. White smoke began to puff from the surface. "Put it in a witch's drink, she's instantly paralyzed. You can kill her without a fight."

"Is this for your own stockpile, or for a customer?"

"Just some lower-level demon," Piper sniffed. She turned back to her potion recipe, running a crimson fingernail down the page. "Have you seen our sons today?"

"Wyatt's on assignment," he said, "and I haven't seen Christopher all day."

Piper shook her head. Her potion complete, she began to pour it into several small bottles. "I don't know what we're going to do with that boy," she said, sounding agitated. "He's nothing like his brother. He's so withdrawn; he takes no joy in his assignments."

"He has his premonitions, and a good head for spells and charms," Leo reminded her. "He enjoys studying the Dark Arts. He could always take the Dark Orders and become a priest, or a potions master." He smiled at his wife, caressing her face. "Like his beautiful mother."

Piper smiled back, but the look in her eyes was distant; she had other things on her mind. "I suppose," she replied. "What day is it?"

Leo looked surprised. "In mortal time?" His wife nodded. "The… I'm not sure. November the first, I believe. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious," his wife replied, not meeting his eyes. "Go find Chris, will you? I'd like to have a talk with him."

"Of course," Leo said, pulling his wife in for a last kiss. "You look beautiful today."

Piper rolled her eyes almost playfully. "Go," she ordered, her tone much harsher than her smile.

Leo shimmered away. Piper began to clean up her potion supplies. November the first. She was shocked by the passage of time. That made it twenty-one years since she and Leo had left her sisters. Twenty-one years in the service of the Source.

-----

_2001_

When Prue died, Piper's world fell apart.

Three years of fighting the good fight, of sacrificing her life, her friends, her career- and for what? To lose the person she loved most in the world?

She had Phoebe; that was true. But Phoebe hadn't been close to Piper like Prue had been. They were the only ones who remembered their mother. The ones who taken care of Grams before she died. They'd bonded over toys as children, boys as teenagers, magic as adults.

Then they'd found out about Paige, and it was like another betrayal. Their mother had lied to them. How could it be, that they had another sister? Some woman, half-witch and half-Whitelighter, who just stepped into the family as if Prue had never existed? Piper tried to accept Paige, while attempting to fill the role of the big sister Prue had left vacant, but it was too much to handle all at once.

Leo tried. He promised that everything would be all right, that things would get better, that he'd always be there for her. But despite the fact that her husband was an Angel, he couldn't take her pain away.

Not too longer after Prue passed, Piper suffered another blow.

She was leaving the bank just before it closed one September night when she heard a woman scream from a nearby alley. "Help! Oh God, help!"

Piper took off, running down the street, stopping just where the alley met the street. A pretty blonde woman sat on the ground, crawling back against the wall, her face frozen in fear. A man dressed entirely in black- a warlock- threw an energy ball at her. She waved her hand; the energy ball flew into the wall, fizzing out.

"Stupid witch," the warlock snarled before powering up another energy ball. "Your power is mine."

"Hey, who are you calling a stupid witch?" Piper remarked, causing both the witch and warlock to turn her way. Annoyed, the warlock threw his energy ball at her; Piper froze it midair.

"I don't have time for this!" the warlock shouted. He blinked away.

The blonde witch looked at Piper. "Is he gone?" she asked, her voice tight with fear. She started to stand and move away from the wall.

"I think so-" The words had barely left Piper's mouth when the demon blinked in behind her, covered the witch's mouth with one hand, and with the other, stabbed her in the stomach with his athame. The witch groaned in pain as she collapsed to the ground.

"No! You bastard!" Piper screamed, throwing out her hands. Instead of blowing up the demon, she blew up a large crate in the end of the alley. Shards of wood went everywhere, and Piper was lifted off her feet. She slammed into the ground a few feet away. While she lay there, her back aching and her left ankle surely sprained, she saw the cool white essence of the witch's power- her telekinesis, just like Prue- flow out of her and into the warlock.

"Thanks for your help, witch," he snapped with a smile before blinking away. Piper turned on to her side despite her aching leg. Through her blurry eyes she could see the young witch's body, her crimson blood staining the pavement.

"Leo," she called quietly, pitifully. "Leo!"

She heard the familiar jingle of his orbs behind her, watched Leo kneel down beside her. "Piper! Oh my God!" He put his hands to heal her, but she shook her head.

"No, no, take me back first, please. I can't- I can't be here," she managed to say, her voice choked with tears. His blue eyes filled with concern, Leo laid his hands across her stomach and orbed them both to the manor.

-----

_2022_

When Prue knocked on the manor door, it was Lizzie who answered. "Mom's in a bad mood," she warned her older sister.

"Hi to you, too." Prue walked into the house, setting her coat and purse down on a couch in the parlor.

"Hi. Mom's in a bad mood," Lizzie repeated again. "Did you do something to make her upset?"

Prue shook her head; for a sixteen-year-old, her sister could be shockingly stupid. "It's the first of November, moron. Mom's always upset today."

"Why?"

"Today's the day Piper and Leo… you know…" Prue whispered to Lizzie, whose eyes widened.

"Oh," she said quietly, looking down at the floor. Their mother had never told them much about her aunt and uncle, a witch and former Whitelighter who had fallen away from the Light and turned to evil. It had been over twenty years ago, before Prue, Lizzie, and their youngest sister Brianna, were born.

"Where's Dad?" Prue wanted to know.

"The kitchen. Mom's in her room."

Prue nodded, leaving her sister in the parlor before heading into the kitchen. Cole Turner, a lawyer for the San Francisco Public Defender's Office, was in the kitchen with a sandwich in one hand and a Coke in the other. His eyes lit up at the sight of her. "Prue! I didn't know you were coming home. What a nice surprise."

"Dad, you're not supposed to be drinking that," Prue reminded her father. "Too much sugar; you're supposed to have only diet soda. And is there mayonnaise on that sandwich? Because the doctor said-"

"I know what the doctor said," Cole said, cutting off his daughter in a tone more bemused than angry. "When did you become a little health know-it-all?"

"I took a class in Nutrition Science last semester." Prue was a sophomore at San Francisco State University. She'd been accepted to Berkeley and Stanford too, but had gone to school in the city, mostly for her mother's peace of mind. Phoebe wanted all of her children close to home.

Cole frowned. "I thought you were a Sociology major."

"I am, but I have to take one Science class. It's part of my core curriculum."

Her father shook his head. "Why does the university waste our money with classes you have no interest in taking? I don't understand the logic behind it."

Prue smiled. It wouldn't be a visit home without her father complaining about something. For the first time, she noticed how old he looked: the bags under his eyes, the wrinkles forming around his mouth, the handful of white strands crisscrossing through his black hair.

"How's Mom?" she asked, becoming serious.

Any amusement left her father's eyes. He sighed, setting down his sandwich. "She's alright. Every year, it hurts a little less. She's come to terms with what happened, but you know your mother."

Prue nodded. Her mother, who'd earned her PhD in Psychology, had spent the last twenty years of her life writing books and teaching classes at the local community college to help people learn how to resolve problems and find happiness. It was ironic that she spent her life pursuing a goal she herself never had achieved.

"Do you think I should go upstairs and say hi?" Prue wondered.

Cole nodded, giving his daughter a small smile. "I think she'd like that a lot."

Prue nodded and headed upstairs, past the empty bedroom she'd occupied when she lived at home, that had been her namesake's room, Prue; Lizzie and Brianna's room, which had once been her Aunt Paige's room; and the master bedroom that had once belonged to her Aunt Piper and Uncle Leo, and now belonged to her mother and father. Prue knocked on the closed door. "Mom?"

"Come in," she heard her mother say. Prue walked in. Her mother lay on the bed, her eyes closed. A washcloth was draped across her head. Prue could see gray roots in her mother's brown hair that needed to be dyed. Phoebe's eyes flickered open when she saw her oldest daughter walk in. A warm smile grew on her face. "Hey sweetheart," she said, patting the spot beside her on the bed. Prue sat down beside her mother. "What are you doing here?"

"My afternoon class was canceled, so I decided to come by. Are you feeling OK?"

"Just a little headache, I'm fine," Phoebe told her daughter, sitting up and removing the washcloth from her head. "Are you sure everything's OK? No failed tests, boy troubles, demon attacks?"

Prue couldn't help but smile. "Nope. I'm demon-free." Like her mother, Prue had inherited her mother's gift of premonitions, and her aunt Prue's gift of telekinesis. She rarely ever used her powers, however; her mother had all but forbid it, except in the case of demon attacks. "Is there anything I can do for you, Mom?"

"No, I'm alright. Are you staying for dinner?"

"I can, if you want me to."

Phoebe smiled. "Of _course_ I want you to. Why don't you grab Lizzie and Brianna and start cutting up some vegetables? I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Sure," Prue agreed, giving her mother a kiss on the forehead before getting up and leaving the room. The second the door shut, Phoebe closed her eyes again. She knew why Prue had come by: to try and cheer her up. Phoebe knew it was silly to grieve for a sister who hadn't actually died, but the day Piper had left her family, something inside of Phoebe died.

-----

_2001_

Phoebe could tell something was wrong with her sister. After Piper lost the innocent in that alleyway, she started acting… different.

True, it had only been about three weeks since Prue died, but there was something else. Piper spent hours locked in the attic, learning how to use her exploding power, writing spells and creating potions; it was as if she was trying to make up for losing that witch.

Piper getting lost in magic didn't make Phoebe's life any easier. She was still dealing with Prue's death, and now had to add on the burden of training Paige in the Wiccan arts, not to mention Cole being constantly on the run from bounty hunters. It was enough to make Phoebe's head spin.

Later she would feel guilty, that she hadn't seen the mess her sister was getting herself into. Phoebe was sure had she known, Piper never would have gone down the path that she did.

-----

Leo knocked lightly on the attic door. "Piper?" He opened the door slowly.

A cauldron bubbled away on the table. Piper tossed a handful of some herb into the pot; it hissed like a petulant snake. "Hi, honey," she greeted him without looking up from the _Book of Shadows_.

_I wonder why she's working up here_, Leo thought. It was much more convenient to brew potions in the kitchen- unless Piper was working on something she didn't want her sisters to know about.

"Is there a demon? Are you brewing a vanquishing potion?"

Piper shook her head, stirring the cauldron with a large wooden spoon. "Nope. What we have here, is a potion that scorches flesh, which should be done in just a moment."

"What do you need a flesh scorching potion for?" Leo asked, trying not to sound too suspicious. He moved to the table and picked up several smaller bottles, reading the labels on each one. "Mind control, Fire Breath, Torment… Torment?"

She nodded, looking proud of herself. "If you throw that at a demon, he'll be in unspeakable pain until you throw the antidote at him." Piper must've been unhappy with the shocked look on Leo's face, because she replied, "What? I've already made the antidote."

"Piper, did you get these spells from the _Book of Shadows_?"

"No, I wrote them myself." She started to look a little less pleased with herself. "I just want to be prepared. Paige isn't as strong as Phoebe and I are. We need a little extra fire power."

"You vanquish demons, Piper, to save innocents. You don't try to torture them-"

"Well, maybe they _deserve_ pain, Leo, have you ever considered that?" Piper snapped, voice breaking. "We vanquished Shax, but if I could go back in time, I would put that demon through every kind of torture I can imagine, for what he did to Prue."

Leo was lost for words. He knew his wife would never completely get over Prue's death; and he was hard-pressed to say that he wouldn't torture Shax himself if he got the chance. "Piper," he finally said, "I know you feel bad for that witch you lost. But that wasn't your fault. You didn't know the warlock was coming back, you still don't have full control of your exploding power yet-"

Her face lit up. "Oh, but I do," Piper said gleefully. She turned to the dollhouse in the corner and tossed out her hands. The wooden dollhouse exploded, sending shards of wood and glass flying, just as Piper froze the pieces midair. She whirled around to look at Leo. "Impressed?" The pieces of wood and glass fell harmlessly to the floor with a final flick of her wrists.

"I- I am," he admitted. Piper had come a long way in only a few weeks. Not just magically; for the first time since Prue's death, she was cheerful and talkative and _alive_; Leo was thrilled to see her like this. He'd missed his wife.

Piper walked over to her husband, throwing her arms around his neck. Leo wrapped his arms around her waist, savoring her touch. Since Prue died, the last thing Piper wanted was for Leo to touch her. He inhaled the flowery scent of her hair; let his hands trace the curves of her hips.

"Leo, you don't need to worry about me. Phoebe doesn't have any active powers, except for levitating, and Paige can barely control her powers. I need to start being the big sister. Prue was the most powerful out of all of us. And now… I am."

Those last three words sent a chill through Leo. He looked at Piper, and was unable to say a word before she pulled him into a long, deep kiss that sent shockwaves through his body. When he looked back at that time, he realized that that moment was the first indicator of her turn to evil- and by not saying a word, his too.


	2. Chapter II

_2022_

Prue was heading back to the dorm later that night when she decided she wasn't ready to go back to school. Dinner had been awkward; her father and sisters had tried to cheer Phoebe up, yet her mother barely said a word the whole evening.

She wished she understood why her mother felt this way. Phoebe rarely spoke of Piper and Leo. Only once, when Prue was ten and stumbled upon a photo of her mother, Aunt Paige, and another woman she didn't recognize, did Phoebe tell Prue about her aunt and uncle who'd left the family and turned to the dark side.

Prue needed answers. So instead of heading back to school, she decided to go to her aunt Paige's.

"Hey, Prue," her aunt greeted her when she opened the door. Paige smiled, pleasantly surprised to see her oldest niece. "What are you doing here?"

"Just in the neighborhood," she replied, hugging Paige. "Can I come in for awhile?"

"Sure, I just put on a pot of coffee." Paige let Prue in. Prue sat down at the kitchen table, gazing around at the pictures on the wall: one of her grandmother, Patty, circa 1970; one of Paige and her mother as young women; one of Paige and her uncle Henry on their wedding day; baby pictures of their son Henry Jr., and their twin daughters Payton and Paulette. "Henry's working late, and the kids are doing their homework- at least, I hope they are- so I'm happy to have the company," Paige told her niece as she poured her a cup of coffee. She slid into the seat across from Prue, her expression warm, but her eyes confrontational. "But you're not here _just_ to hang out with your favorite aunt, are you?"

"No, I'm not," Prue admitted.

"Is this about your mom?" Prue nodded. Paige sighed. "I figured. I called her earlier today and offered to stop by, but she said no, don't come…" She trailed off with a sigh, looking sad. Paige shook her head. "Your poor mother."

"Tell me about Aunt Piper," Prue said suddenly. Paige looked startled. "What was she like? What happened to her? Why did she and Leo leave?"

Paige hesitated. "I don't know, Prue… I feel like this is something you should ask your mother."

"I _can't_. You know that," Prue told her aunt agitatedly. "She won't talk about them. Please, tell me something."

"Well, to be perfectly honest," Paige said, taking a sip of coffee, "I didn't know Piper that well. Prue had died only two weeks before I met her, and she always seemed to push me away. I think she thought that I was trying to take Prue's place."

Prue lowered her eyes, staring at the inky black innards of her coffee cup. Paige looked at her niece thoughtfully. "Hold on a second." She got up from the table, leaving Prue alone in the kitchen. When Paige returned, she was holding an old photograph. "Here. Why don't you hold onto this for a little while?"

Prue took the photo. It was Piper and Leo on their wedding day. Piper was wearing a beautiful, lacy, high-necked dress. Her smile was so bright; her skin appeared to be glowing. Leo, in a handsome tux, had his arms wrapped around her waist. He was beaming as brightly as his new wife. Prue's grip on the photo tightened. How could two people, who appeared to be filled with such an innate goodness, turn to evil?

-----

_2001_

Piper couldn't sleep. It was three in the morning, and she lay in bed, twisting and turning. It had been like this for the past few weeks; she woke up in the middle of the night, craving magic. It was as if she _had_ to use her magic: nothing made her feel better than brewing potions, casting spells, using her powers. Her fingers itched to turn the pages of _The Book of Shadows_.

She rolled over, thinking she would find Leo sleeping peacefully. But instead, he lay on his back, looking at the ceiling. He turned to her when he felt her gaze upon him. "Can't sleep?" Piper asked him, running a hand along his jaw, down his neck, finally resting her palm upon his chest.

Leo shook his head. "No," he whispered back, turning towards her, pushing dark hair off of his wife's face.

"I can give you something for that," she told him, her voice light and mischievous. "I made a Sleeping Potion yesterday."

Leo kept his expression neutral. His hand traveled from her hair to cradle Piper's cheek. "All right."

So they hurried up to the attic, where she poured dark purple liquid into two glasses, one for the each of them. Before either of them drank, Leo began to skim the _Book of Shadows_.

"You've added a lot of new spells," he noted.

Piper smiled, pleased that Leo had noticed. "I've been working very hard lately."

Leo stopped suddenly on one page. It was titled _Power Stripping Spell_. "What is this?" he asked angrily. "Piper, you aren't thinking of giving up your powers, are you?"

Piper tried not to look guilty, but she was a terrible faker. "No, of course not. It's for stripping powers… from other witches. But it's only temporary, like the power switching spell."

He said nothing for a moment. Leo looked at her, his face unreadable. She couldn't even begin to guess what he was thinking. "Piper, stealing powers from other witches… that's what warlocks do."

"Warlocks don't fight evil. _We_ do," Piper snapped back. "We need more than freezing and levitation to fight energy balls and fire throwing, Leo! Warlocks kill witches for their powers. This spell doesn't require anyone to _die_, and like I said, it's only temporary." She moved towards him slowly, as if she was seducing him. Leo couldn't take his eyes off her. "I know how you hate being so passive when warlocks and demons attack. We could give you an active power, to defend yourself from Darklighters. You would like that, wouldn't you?"

Piper ran her through her husband's hair, pressing her body against his. Her lips kissed down his neck, electrifying every sense. The friction of her pelvis against his drove him crazy.

When Leo had been training to be a Whitelighter, they'd trained him to detect warning sides for witches turning to evil. Spending more time than usual practicing magic; finding ways to gain more and more power; devising spells and potions that could be considered personal gain: all were examples of witches on the verge of turning evil.

Leo knew that this was wrong. He could see the warning signs in Piper, and worse, he could feel Piper's desire for power within his own veins. And he knew that her turn to evil would spread through their marriage bond, turning him evil too. But right now, the feel of her body on his was incredible; Leo could give a damn about her turning evil. He wanted power, but more importantly, he wanted her.

The sleeping potion forgotten, Leo scooped Piper up in his arms. She giggled as he pulled her into a long kiss and proceeded to carry her back to the bedroom, where they made love for hours.

-----

The Source's chambers were dark, save the light of a few torches. Wrapped in his black robe, he sat on his throne in silence. Before him, in a burst of light, appeared the Seer. "My Master," she greeted him.

"Leave me, Seer," the Source ordered morosely, waving his hand. "I am not in the mood for visitors."

"But my liege, I have had a vision you will find most interesting. About the Charmed Ones," the Seer explained.

The Source brushed her aside with a hollow, humorless laugh. "It doesn't matter. No matter what you foresee, with the Charmed Ones reconstituted, and Belthazor living among them, any plan that I forge will be useless against them."

The Seer smiled. "That is where my vision comes into play," she responded, trying to restrain her joy. "I believe we may be able to turn the oldest Charmed One to our side- _and_ her husband."

Even beneath his dark hood, it was obvious that the Source did not believe her. He scoffed at the Seer. "Piper and Leo? You must be joking. Piper is the strongest witch, now that Prue is dead. And no Whitelighter has fallen to evil in a millennium."

"Yet I have foreseen it," the Seer explained to him. "She is experimenting with dark magic, my liege, with an increasing desire to gain more power. And she is seducing her husband down her dark path. I believe, with your intervention, they can _both_ be turned to our side. The Power of Three will be broken, permanently."

The Source of All Evil paused, considering this. The possibilities of a Charmed One turning to evil were infinite. Yes, the Power of Three would be broken; but more importantly, the Source would gain two new, powerful servants. "Do you really believe so, Seer?"

She nodded, her white teeth flashing against her dark skin in a malevolent grin. "I know it."

-----

Cole was getting annoyed with Phoebe. "Damn it," he said angrily, almost yelling. "I won't take the potion."

Phoebe sat the Power Stripping Potion on the kitchen table with an annoyed look. "Why not?"

"Phoebe, when I asked you to marry me, I didn't think there would be… _conditions_ that went along with it," Cole complained. He'd proposed to her the night before, after a particularly treacherous demon attack. They'd told no one; life in the manor was tense enough these days without the possibility of a witch-demon marriage.

"But if you strip your powers," Phoebe reminded him wearily, sick of this reoccurring argument between them, "then the bounty hunters won't constantly be on your back. You'll be off the Source's radar, and we can finally have a normal life."

Cole laughed sarcastically, further irking Phoebe. "A _normal_ life? As long as you're a Charmed One, we'll never live a normal life. At least as a demon, I can help you and your sisters; I can protect myself from other demons-"

"Demons you lure here, because they sense your powers!" Phoebe shouted at him. "Instead of thinking about how _you'd_ be weaker without your powers, think about how much easier it would be on me, and this family, if we didn't have to worry about warlocks bursting in at all hours trying to capture you and bring you to the Source! I can't worry about you all the time, Cole! I need to train Paige, and find a job, and take care of the club-"

"P3?" Cole interrupted. "Why are you taking care of it? It's Piper's club."

Phoebe sighed. "She's been so obsessed with being Super Witch, she hasn't been there in weeks. All she does is work on her spells. The only time she leaves the house is to buy potion supplies. I've barely spoken to her in weeks; she and Leo seem to hide up there, away from everyone. God, sometimes it's like I lost two sisters…" Her eyes, which had gotten heavy with tears as she spoke, finally spilled over. "I can't take of everything by myself, I just can't, it's too hard…"

Cole grabbed Phoebe and wrapped his arms around her as tightly as possibly. He could feel her body shake, her tears creating damp spots on his shirt. "Phoebe-"

"Please, don't say it's going to be all right," she begged him, looking up into his eyes. "You don't know that. You don't."

He couldn't argue with that. So Cole said nothing, and just held her while she cried.

-----

Leo held out his hand. It crackled with lime green sparks and miniature lightning bolts. He smiled as the warmth of this new power spread throughout his body, like a comforting blanket.

"Like it?" Piper asked from behind her.

He whirled around, and stretched out his fingers. Electric bolts spread from his fingers, zapping the dressmaker's dummy in the corner of the attic, scorching the fabric and wood.

"I love it," he told her. She grinned, giving him a long kiss. "I'll never have to worry about Darklighters again."

The look on Piper's suggested that she disagreed. "It's only temporary, I can't figure out how to make it stick," she complained. Piper went back over to the _Book_. "I don't understand."

"There's a difference between casting spells and having powers," Leo explained. "You can give yourself a temporary power boost, but powers are either past on from your ancestors-"

"Or stolen from other witches," she finished. They just looked at each other. It was a line neither of them wanted to cross. Killing a witch was the last step, before a witch officially crossed over and became a warlock. Before she became evil.

The familiar Whitelighter jingle filled the attic. "A charge is calling," Leo sighed.

"Ignore it," Piper told him, tucking her thumbs in the loops of Leo's jeans and pulling him closer. She buried her face into his chest, letting her hands wrap around his waist, caressing Leo's backside. He gently pushed her off of him, looking aroused but annoyed.

"I ignored the last two, remember? I don't want to get in trouble," he reminded her quietly. "We don't want to attract attention."

Piper sighed. "Fine, fine. Go. I'll see you later."

Leo gave her one last kiss before orbing away. Piper flipped through the _Book of Shadows_, looking for another potion to make.

"You've become very powerful, haven't you?" Piper looked up from the _Book_. A tall column of flames filled the attic and disappeared as suddenly as they appeared. The Source stood before her, face hidden under black robes.

-----

Leo orbed into the Heavens. The Elder Silas stood before him when he reformed. "Silas," he greeted him. Silas was a tall, stately man with snow white hair. They'd met after Leo died in World War II; he had been one of Leo's mentors during his Whitelighter training, and had become an Elder only twenty years ago. Silas had been one of the few Elders fighting for Piper and Leo to marry. "How are you?"

"I'm fine, Leo." But he didn't look fine at all; he looked pale and anxious. "I need to talk to you about something."

Leo looked at his old friend. He'd never seen him so worried. "What's wrong?" His friend hesitated. Leo attempted a smile, trying to lighten the somber mood. "I know you called me up here for a reason."

"The other Elders are- well, they're suspicious of your behavior," Silas explained.

"Of _my_ behavior?" Leo said in disbelief.

Silas nodded, continuing. "You've been unusually distant lately: you're missing staff meetings, you're late to the calls of your charges… unless they're Piper's."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Leo wanted to know, becoming defensive. "Prue just died, only a few weeks ago. Piper and her sisters need me now, not just as their Whitelighter, but as husband and brother-in-law."

Silas held up his hands in an attempt to calm Leo down. "I understand, Leo, I really do. I told the same to the other Elders. But it's more than that. I've been keeping an eye on you, Leo. You're spending a lot of time with Piper, alone, practicing magic with her. Magic that could be considered dark magic by some."

Leo narrowed his eyes. "'By some'- meaning _you_, Silas?"

"You're walking a dangerous path, Leo. I just wanted to warn you that I'm worried about you."

"I'm not your protégée anymore, I don't need you to worry about me," Leo told his former mentor. Leo struggled to contain his anger. His new magic raced around inside his body. Leo resisted every instinct he had not to shock the Elder to death.

What was he thinking? he realized, startled by his own impulses. He couldn't kill Silas.

Leo knew Silas was right. But he couldn't focus on his words. His new power rippled through his body, electrifying every cell, making him feel stronger, almost invincible. Leo had spent so much time watching his wife and her sisters wield their powers that he craved powers of his own. He was sick of being nothing but the Charmed Ones' healer and means of transportation. Leo's heart was racing. Piper was right; they needed more power, and not the kind that came from _The Book of Shadows_.

"Don't be angry, Leo-" Silas began.

"I'm not," he replied coolly, trying to control his temper. But his eyes blazed. "Don't get on my bad side, Silas. You'll regret it."

Without another word, Leo orbed away, leaving a concerned Silas behind.

-----

Piper's eyes widened; she froze at the sight of the Source before her. She opened her mouth to call for her sisters. "Don't," the Source warned her in his voice, so low and foreboding, it reverberated in her bones. "I'm not here to hurt you, Piper," he told her.

"Oh, yeah?" she scoffed. "Well, you didn't come by for tea and cookies."

A sound that could have been laughter emerged from under the Source's hood. "You are correct. I've come to offer you something."

Piper snorted. "Offer me what?" She put her head in her hands, letting her elbows rest on the bookstand lazily. With all the power she'd built up, the Source had nothing on her. She could take him down with any of her potions.

"I know what you seek, Piper: power. Just as I do, and just as my minions do. And I can provide that. I don't need assassins, but I do need powerful potion makers and charm creators. I need _you_," the Source explained.

Goosebumps traveled up Piper's shoulders; he wanted her? The Source continued, "If you take the Dark Orders, and become a Priestess in my Unholy Order, the powers you will gain will be greater than you can possibly imagine."

"That sounds great, really," Piper said sarcastically, "but I'm not evil. I'm one of the good guys, remember?"

Another sound of amusement came from the Source. "That's true, you haven't turned to evil. But you're not exactly pure good now, are you?"

She kept her cool gaze on the Source, but swallowed painfully. Piper knew he was right. She hadn't killed anyone, but her new collection of potions and spells certainly weren't the creations of a pure, true witch.

"This deal is open whenever you wish to take it," the Source told her. He held out his hand; in a puff of smoke, a medallion appeared. It was made of gold, perfectly round and smooth, with an inverted pentagram etched in the center. "Take this. When you hold this and think of me, you will be transported instantly to my private chambers."

Piper said nothing, but slowly moved towards the Source, took the medallion from his hand and slipped it in her pocket. Without another word, the Source flamed out of the attic. She backed away quickly, right into the bookstand, startled. _The Book of Shadows_ fell off the stand.

Still shaking, Piper went to pick up the _Book_. Just as her hands were about to lock around its ancient green cover, it seemed to slide away from her, just out of her grasp. The same way it did when evil tried to touch it. Her heart began to pound.

As fast as she could, she picked the _Book_ up and set it down on the bookstand, before running out of the attic.


	3. Chapter III

_2022_

Piper sketched an inverted pentagram on the altar table, placing a symbol of the elements at each point: a bowl of water, a lit candle, a handful of soil, a feather, and a piece of raw gold. She'd already consecrated and blessed the space, daubing the place with sacred oils and herbs.

"Is there a ceremony tonight?" her youngest son asked after shimmering into the altar room. Piper looked up from her work to see Chris leaning against the wall. He looked especially skinny in his dark suit, similar to the one Leo and Wyatt wore. His hair was too long, she noted; he was constantly brushing it out of his eyes. A scar lined his right cheekbone, one that had been there since he was a boy. Piper hid a smile. Chris should have never snuck up on his brother when he was practicing using energy balls.

"Just a Handfasting at sundown," she replied coolly. "Where have you been all day?"

Chris looked slightly embarrassed. "The Source's library."

"You do enjoy it there, don't you?" Piper mused, more to herself than her son. "Studying spells and charms- just like your mother." She smiled at her son, taking his face in her hands.

Her son wouldn't meet her eyes, but Piper could tell he was happy to have pleased her. It was hard for him to live in Wyatt's shadow. "I suppose," he replied softly. His eyes were tired and bloodshot; his skin was pale, Piper noticed now that she was up close.

She frowned, her nails digging into the tender flesh of his cheeks. "Have you had a vision?"

"No. Why do you ask?" Both of her children were terrible liars. Piper let go of Chris roughly, almost knocking him to the floor.

"Christopher…" she said softly, her brown eyes deadly, "don't lie to me."

He stared back at her defiantly. "I'm not."

Piper sighed. "You know better than to lie to me, Chris. Well, you'll just have to deal with the consequences of your actions." She put her hand into her pocket and removed a bright red bottle.

Chris's eyes widened. "Wait, Mother-"

She hurled the bottle at her son. It hit the floor with a crash; scarlet smoke clouded around him. Chris fell to his knees as the smoke enveloped him. He gasped as all the air was sucked from his lungs, burning his chest.

"Tell me _what you saw_!" she screamed, watching as her son writhed on the floor. Her face was expressionless.

He rolled onto his back, clutching his chest. "I'll tell you," Chris managed to say, coughing and gagging. "Stop, Mom, please!"

Piper removed a bright green potion from her pocket and tossed it beside him almost carelessly. The scarlet smoke dissipated; Chris took in a long, deep breath. The Priestess walked over to her son, kneeling beside him. "What did you see in your vision?"

"I saw- a woman," he said, gasping between words. "She couldn't have been older than twenty. Dark hair, dark eyes."

"An Innocent?"

He shook his head, still inhaling deeply. "A witch. But I didn't want to kill her- she seemed… familiar to me." Chris let out another bone-shattering cough.

Piper's mind raced. Twenty years old- that's how old Phoebe's oldest child would be now, wouldn't she? Why would Chris be having visions of her?

She helped him to his feet. "I'm sorry I had to do that," she told her son. "But you should never lie to your mother."

"I understand," Chris muttered.

"If you like, you can perform the Handfasting with me tonight." The chance to help perform a ritual got Chris's attention. He nodded, smiling a little. "That's a good boy. Cleanse yourself and put on your formal robes." Chris shimmered away.

Once he was gone, Piper began to ponder. On the anniversary of her and Leo's conversion, Chris was having visions of Phoebe's daughter? While she didn't know it was Phoebe's daughter for sure, this couldn't be coincidence. No, something was going on, and she could feel worry spread to her core.

-----

_2001_

Cole shimmered Phoebe into the warehouse; Leo orbed in close behind, Paige and Piper on each arm. "Are you _sure_ this is where you saw the girl get attacked?" Paige asked suspiciously. Phoebe nodded. "Looks like an abandoned warehouse to me."

"Well, demons seem to like these. It's up there with dark alleys and secluded parks. Why can't an innocent ever get attacked in Disneyland?" Piper wondered to herself as they began to make their way through the warehouse.

Phoebe laughed quietly. Piper looked at her. "It wasn't that funny."

"I know," Phoebe replied, "but it's the first joke I've heard you make in… a while."

Piper gave her a sister a small smile, while Paige and Cole exchanged an awkward look; they knew that Piper and Phoebe had been having some problems lately, and were hoping that the two sisters could get over their differences and start working together again.

"I think I hear them," Leo said quietly. The five of them made their way slowly to a huge stack of crates and looked out between the cracks.

A girl was tied to a pole; her hands, feet, and mouth were bound with masking tape. A black-suited man holding a crossbow- a Darklighter- stood before them, watching their every move. A woman- most likely a warlock- also stood there in a black suit, looking at her watch.

"What do you think they want?" Paige whispered. "They're just… waiting."

"Does it really matter?" Piper snapped. "We just need to stop them."

"What do you suggest?" Cole asked her.

Without another word, Piper walked out from behind the crates and into the opening. "Hey, bitch!" she yelled to the warlock. The warlock spun around. Piper tossed out her hands; the warlock exploded into a thousand pieces.

"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Phoebe muttered to herself as she, Cole, and Paige hurried to Piper's aid.

Almost instantly, six other warlocks blinked into the warehouse. Piper's eyes widened with fear. "Just as we planned," the Darklighter said with a grin, raising his crossbow. "The Charmed Ones."

The Darklighter, seeing Paige, fired off an arrow. She cowered, orbing in place. The arrow soared through the air, finally becoming firmly stuck into the wall.

Cole tossed off an energy ball at a warlock. He blinked away and reappeared behind him, tossing a fireball. Cole managed to shimmer away before it hit him.

Phoebe leapt into the air, levitating several feet above the ground. Before the warlock could blink away, she kicked him in the head and knocked him to the ground. She dropped back to the ground, fists raised.

"Over here!" Leo called to the Darklighter, before orbing away behind the stack of crates. The Darklighter followed him over, crossbow drawn. But before he could shoot off another arrow, Leo extended his hands. Green bolts flooded from his fingertips, wrapping around the Darklighter's body. "But- you're a Whitelighter!" he gasped as the electricity coursed through his body.

"I am," Leo said as the Darklighter exploded into a thousand pieces. He grinned, flexing his fingers, feeling power course through them. "But I have a little more power than most."

Piper made her way over to the girl bound to the pole. She pulled the masking tape off of her feet and hands. "Go hide," she told the girl. "We're taking care of them."

The girl ripped the masking tape from her mouth. "Behind you!" she cried.

Piper whirled around. A warlock was about to leap on top of her. Before Piper could blow him up, the girl held up her hand; a stream of ice rippled from her hand, literally freezing the warlock midair. His frozen form shattered as it hit the floor.

Piper was speechless. "Thanks," she finally said. _What a great power_, she thought quickly, looking the girl up and down. She couldn't have been any older than fourteen. Piper helped her up. On the floor, she spotted the warlock's athame. She picked it up and slipped it in her pocket.

Turning around, she saw her sisters picking themselves off the floor; no more warlocks were in sight. "Do you think more are coming?" Phoebe asked Cole.

He shook his head. "I doubt it. There's no point in sending more warlocks now. Even if they killed you, it's more of a loss than a gain for them."

Piper couldn't take her eyes off the girl in front of her. She wanted her power. All she could think about was how much it would amplify her own freezing power. The girl couldn't be any older than twelve; it wouldn't take much to take her down-

_Stop it_, she ordered herself. _You can't do that. That's __evil_

"What happened to the Darklighter?" Phoebe wondered.

"The last time I saw him, he was going after Leo," Cole said. He and Phoebe both turned to look at Leo.

Phoebe looked confused. "You didn't- _vanquish_ him, did you?" she said, almost laughing at the thought.

Leo laughed too. "No, of course not. I don't know, he just left when he was his side was losing. He must've wanted to save his own skin."

Cole stared at him, as if he was boring holes in Leo's flesh with his eyes. "That must've been it," he agreed, although he didn't sound as if he believed the Whitelighter.

Paige went up to the girl. "Are you OK?" she asked her softly.

"Yeah," she said softly, not meeting anyone's eyes. "I just want to go home." Paige wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulders.

"I can shimmer her home," Cole offered.

"No, you don't have to," Piper replied quickly. "You take Phoebe and Paige home. Leo and I will take her home, and he'll orb me back."

Phoebe didn't look thrilled with that plan. She narrowed her eyes at Piper. "Wouldn't it be easier for Cole to do it?"

"I think she's had enough evil for one day," Piper told her sister firmly, taking the girl's hand. "She doesn't need a demon bringing her home."

Phoebe looked miffed at that, but said nothing in reply.

Paige cleared her throat uncomfortably. "Why don't we just go then," she said, moving towards Cole and Phoebe. Phoebe wrapped her arms around Cole's waist, her eyes never leaving Piper. He shimmered away, Paige and Phoebe in tow.

Leo and Piper were suddenly alone with the girl. Piper turned to her, giving her a big smile. "Let me talk to my husband for one second, and then we'll bring you home, OK?" The girl nodded and smiled in agreement.

Piper took Leo by the hand and led him away. "She can create ice," she told Leo. "What a great power."

"I know, I remember when you used it on me," Leo remarked. "When you were evil." Piper looked at him sharply; yes, she'd used it then. But she'd been under a spell. It hadn't been real, true, permanent evil.

"I want that power, Leo," Piper said, almost lustfully, running her hands down his chest.

His eyes flickered towards the skinny, prepubescent girl, and back to Piper's. "Then let's get it," he said, a smile curling up on his face.

Piper whirled around to face the girl and flicked her wrists. A crate next to the girl exploded, knocking her off her feet. She flew backwards and hit her head, knocking her unconscious.

Leo and Piper ran to her, kneeling beside her. Piper pulled the athame from her pocket. She stopped suddenly. "What are you doing?" Leo asked quickly. "Why are you waiting?"

"This is wrong," Piper said, her voice shuddering. She started shaking her head. "I don't think I can do this."

"Come on, Piper, you said it yourself: you need more power to fight demons," Leo reminded her, his tone harsh and bitter. It sounded so strange, those hostile words spewing from his mouth. "This isn't evil, it's being practical. Be strong. Just do it and get it over with."

She still hesitated. But deep in her body, her veins, she wanted it. Piper was hungry for it. All those spells and charms and potions she'd spent so many sleepless nights creating were meaningless unless she had some real power to back them up.

In one swift motion, Piper extended her arm and stabbed the girl in the stomach, pulling the athame out in one swift motion. To her horror, her eyes flickered open and shut, as she gasped for air. Blood oozed out of her stomach, soaking into and staining her t-shirt. Her body shuddered, desperately searching for oxygen.

Leo immediately raised his hands to heal her, but Piper knocked them away. "You told me to be strong. _You_ need to be strong," she snapped at him. He dropped his hands to his sides slowly. Suddenly it looked as if Leo was the one wracked with guilt.

All at once, the girl stopped moving. Her head fell to one side limply. The blood flow came more slowly, pooling around her head. Her body lay still. A moment later, a white essence rose from her corpse. Piper stood, and watched the essence rise and fill her body.

She inhaled deeply, closing her eyes. Her veins were filled with fire, then ice. Every cell buzzed and hummed as the new power became a part of her, warming her core and spreading outward. For the first time since Prue died- for the first time in her _life_, it seemed- she was whole, complete. Piper was a new woman.

Leo watched as a look of pure joy rose over Piper's face. "Piper?"

Her eyes flew open. "God, Leo," she breathed. "That was… I don't even have words."

"Try it," he urged her.

Piper turned to the girl's body and held out her hand. A stream of ice extended from it, wrapping around the body until she was virtually mummified in ice. Piper's eyes widened at her handiwork. "Amazing," she whispered to herself.

Leo let loose a bolt of green lightning, striking the ice-covered body. It shattered like fine glass, leaving bits of ice-encrusted flesh and blood on the ground. "Good idea," Piper told him.

But Leo didn't look pleased. "My power's fading." He held out his hands and attempted to use his power. The green bolts of lightning he had been producing were nothing more than sparks now.

"Sweetheart, it's all right. We'll get you a new power," Piper told him. "Now why don't we-"

And then Piper was in the living room of the Manor. "Go… home…" she finished. Her body felt like it had just gone through a blender. She collapsed onto the couch. "Oh my God…"

Leo orbed into the living room. "Piper?"

"Right here," she told him. "That was odd."

"You just blinked," Leo said flatly, sounding worried.

"What? No, I didn't, only warlocks blink." Piper tried to sound nonchalant, but her insides were screaming.

"What's going on?" Cole entered the living room. "When did you two get back?"

"Just now," Piper said quickly. "And I'm exhausted. I think I'm going to take a nap."

"I'll join you," Leo replied. "See you later, Cole."

The two left the living room. Cole watched them leave. They'd been acting suspicious for almost a month now, and he wanted to know why. He shimmered out of the living room.

-----

_2022_

At four a.m., after four hours of reading and homework, and three Diet Cokes, Prue turned off the light in her dorm and tried to go to sleep.

She hated going to sleep. Unlike her mother's premonitions, which were triggered by touch, Prue's premonitions came while she slept. She never knew if she'd be having a dream about going to class in her underwear, or an Innocent having their flesh torn off by a hungry demon.

But tonight, it was neither one of those…

_She recognized the woman; Piper, her aunt. And the man: her uncle Leo. There were two unfamiliar faces, two young men, one blonde, one dark-haired. She felt a sense of familiarity from them. Did her aunt and uncle have sons?_

_Then, a flash of light. The Underworld. Demons and warlocks of all kinds surrounded Piper, with a coy smile on her face. Her blonde son stood before her. She anointed him with oil, and read a spell from a large spell book. His father came forward and draped a long, dark robe around him. The demons and warlocks dissolved into cheers: "Long live the Source!"_

_The dark-haired son watched from the corner, looking unsettled. Something very bad was happening…_

Prue awoke with a start. She took a moment to catch her breath. That was the most involving vision she'd ever had; it had felt like… she had been there.

It couldn't be a coincidence; a vision like this, on the day that Piper and Leo had left their family? No, it couldn't be. Prue needed to do some investigating, to find out exactly what her vision meant.


	4. Chapter IV

_2022_

Leo walked slowly into the Weapons Room he and Piper kept in the castle. The walls were lined with swords, maces, scythes, crossbows, shields, in addition to a variety of painful devices. He saw his oldest son at the farthest wall, inspecting a broadsword with a bejeweled hilt of rubies and emeralds, tucked away in an aged leather scabbard; it was the sword Leo used when he went into combat.

Wyatt turned around sharply when he heard Leo's footsteps. "Father," he greeted him, sounding surprised to see him. "I didn't see you come in." His brown eyes looked guilty, Leo noticed, as he inspected his son. Wyatt had the same build as his father: strong, sturdy, and always ready for a fight. He reminded Leo of Alexander the Great, with his wavy blond hair, steady eyes, and aura of strength. It brought a smile to Leo's face.

"Just wondering when that'll be yours, are you?" he asked, eyeing his son carefully.

The hopeful look in Wyatt's eyes answered his question. "The Source gave that to you; it was consecrated by his own hand," he said, voice full of awe. "I could never-"

Leo just laughed. "Don't worry, Wyatt. I was actually thinking of giving it to you as a gift, before your consecration ceremony." The ceremony Leo spoke of was a special one, where the Source chose several outstanding young demons to join his personal ranks as assassins. With the power Wyatt had, and the prowess he had over it, it wasn't even a question that he would be chosen.

"There's no need to do that, really," Wyatt told his father, modest as always. "I don't deserve such a thing."

"Pick it up," Leo urged. "Just- try it out."

Obediently, Wyatt picked up the sword by the hilt. It hummed lightly, taking on a faint silver glow. He moved it through the air, thrusting as if he were in battle. A slow smile grew on his face, as the sword's power passed through into him.

"It looks good in your hand, son," Leo told him. Wyatt's eyebrows furrowed as he launched into a series of combinations, parrying and thrusting; the hum of the sword only grew louder, until a bolt of silver light burst from its point, striking one of Leo's shields and shattering it instantly.

Wyatt's eyes widened, and he nearly dropped the sword. Leo grinned, nodding appreciatively. "I knew that sword was meant for you." Wordlessly his son tried to hand the sword back to him, but Leo waved it away. "I want you to have it now. I'll have another sword made. _I've_ never made it do that before."

"Father, please. That was just a- I can't explain it," Wyatt said. Even as a boy, Wyatt had been humble about his abilities, although it was clear to the entire Underworld that Wyatt was the strongest demon born in two millennia.

"Wyatt," Leo said, putting his hands on his son's shoulders, "one day all of the Underworld will be yours." His voice was hushed, whispering desperately into Wyatt's ear. "You are more powerful than any demon or warlock ever born- even more than the Source."

Wyatt's eyes widened and he backed away, breaking out of his father's grip. "It's treasonous to even _think_ that, let alone say it," he said quickly.

"It can't be treason if it's the truth, can it?" Leo wondered aloud. Wyatt didn't answer; his eyes fell to the floor, embarrassed. His father forcefully grabbed his chin and lifted his head, so his eyes would meet his son's. His tone was warm, but not without bite. "Don't be modest about your abilities. You have great power, and you shouldn't be ashamed of it. One day, you will be the ruler of everything the darkness touches." His grin broadened. "It has been foreseen."

_2001_

Phoebe sat in her bedroom, waiting; the only light source was the three tall candles on her bedside table. It was past two in the morning. She'd read her book, watched TV, checked her e-mail, made a snack- and now she waited, silently, painfully, for Cole to come home.

He'd left not long after Piper and Leo came back from dropping the little witch at home, saying he had some business to attend to. That had been more than twelve hours ago. God, how she hated the waiting. Whenever Cole shimmered away, she never knew if he'd be back in an hour, a week- or maybe never again.

Before Phoebe could worry herself into permanent insomnia, Cole appeared once again, shimmering into the bedroom.

"Cole," she breathed, leaping up and throwing her arms around him. "Oh, I was so worried…"

"I know, I know," he assured her, burying his face into her soft hair. "I'm fine, baby, don't worry."

But something in his tone wasn't right. Phoebe pulled away, and looked up into his dark eyes. "What is it?"

He hesitated, his eyes darting away, not meeting hers. "Cole, I know something's wrong. Please, tell me what it is," she pleaded.

Cole turned from her, as if he couldn't stand to look at her. Phoebe's heart gripped with fear; what could he possibly have to tell her that was so awful? "It's- Piper and Leo," he finally managed to say.

"What?" Phoebe said quickly. "What about them?"

Cole looked at Phoebe, and the look on his face scared her. He held her by her shoulders, as if to steady her. She'd never seen him so scared, and looking so defeated. "The girl, the witch we saved this afternoon… they killed her."

Phoebe's eyes widened, and she pushed Cole away. She looked as if she might vomit, her expression was so reviled. "God, Cole, how can you say such a thing?"

"Phoebe-"

"No, just stop it." Phoebe crossed her arms across her chest firmly, unwilling to believe him. "That's my sister you're talking about, and my brother-in-law. You know them, and you _know_ they would never kill anyone! Why would they kill a little girl?"

"For her power."

Phoebe, if possible, looked even more incredulous. She almost laughed in disbelief. "You have _got_ to be kidding me. Piper and Leo aren't warlocks. What would they want with her power?"

Cole's eyes narrowed. "I know it's hard to imagine," he said slowly, trying to stay patient with her. "But come on, Phoebe. You've had your suspicions too. Piper spends all her time in the attic, brewing potions, writing spells, creating charms- she wants power, just like every other demon and warlock. But spells and potions are just tricks in comparison to real powers. And you saw the look in her eyes when she saw that girl's power. She wanted it, and she and Leo took it."

Phoebe couldn't argue with that. Cole pressed on. "The Underworld is buzzing, Phoebe. This is big news. A Charmed One, and her _Whitelighter_ no less, killing for powers? Apparently the Source went to Piper, and made her an offer, to consecrate her as a Dark Priestess in his Unholy Order."

The thought stopped Phoebe in her tracks: her sister, working for the Source? "Bull," she spat. "I don't believe you."

"Phoebe, you know as well as I do that Piper hasn't been the same since Prue died-"

"None of us have been!" she shouted. Cole put a finger to his lips; it was late, and this was not a time for them to be at each other's throats. Phoebe took a deep breath, sinking down onto the bed.

"Nevertheless," Cole continued, "Piper's been playing with some dangerous magic, and I think Leo's joined her."

It sank in, slowly. Phoebe thought back to the last two months: Piper, locked in the attic, mysterious smoke wafting from under the door; her willingness to go fight demons and show off her new spells; Leo, withdrawing from Phoebe and Paige to spend the majority of his time with Piper in the attic; the mysterious way that Darklighter disappeared today; and now this.

Phoebe stood up and pulled on her bathrobe. "Where are you going?" Cole asked sharply.

"To talk to my sister," she shot back, walking into the hall and banging upon the master bedroom door. She heard soft giggling coming from inside. "Piper! Leo! Get the hell out here!"

"This isn't the way to do this, Phoebe," Cole said cautiously, following her into the hallway.

"Well, what would you like to do? Call Oprah, stage an intervention?"

"What's going on?" a sleepy-eyed Paige asked, sticking her head out of her door and into the hallway.

"Come out here, Paige, this concerns you too," Phoebe told her younger sister.

The door to the bedroom opened. Piper walked out, wearing one of Leo's big t-shirts and a pair of pajama pants; Leo walked out behind her in, hair mused, in pajama pants and a tank top. Both looked annoyed.

"What the hell, Phoebe? This couldn't wait until morning?" Piper complained.

"Or at least another ten minutes?" Leo murmured to himself.

Phoebe shook her head firmly, her eyes boring holes into Piper's. "What happened to the girl today?" she asked, trying to keep the anger out of her voice.

Her sister didn't even blink. "We took her home, like we said we would. Is that why you got us up?" Piper sounded sincere, but there was something in her expression that Phoebe couldn't recognize.

"I'm sorry, but could someone tell me what's going on?" Paige asked, confused.

"I have no idea," Leo told her.

Cole's narrowed his eyes at the Whitelighter. "Don't lie to her, Leo," he warned him, his voice low and threatening. "You know what you did."

Leo's blue eyes were like chunks of ice, even as a sly smile rose on his face. Paige stepped back from the Whitelighter, suddenly afraid; she'd never seen that expression on him before. "And what's that, Cole?" he replied quietly, voice full with cunning.

"Don't lie to me, Piper," Phoebe said. She grabbed her sister's shoulder- and was plunged into a vision.

_Phoebe watched the scene play before her eyes, horrified. Piper and Leo knelt beside the young witch's body. Piper gripped an athame in one hand; her eyes were wide and terrified."Be strong," Leo urged her. " Just do it and get it over with."_

_In one swift motion, Piper raised her arm and brought it down like a guillotine, slicing into the girl's stomach like a stick of butter. Blood gushed from her stomach. Leo moved to heal her, but Piper pushed his arms back. "You told me to be strong. You need to be strong," she snapped._

_Slowly the blood stopped flowing, and the girl's body ceased movement. Piper stood, as the white mist of her power rose from the witch's corpse and entered her sister._

Phoebe gasped as the vision abruptly ended. She realized her entire body was shaking.

Her fingers dug like knives into Piper's shoulder. For the first time, she and Leo looked truly afraid.

"You really did it." Her voice was little more than a whisper. Phoebe pulled her hand away from Piper as if it had been eaten away by acid. Rage swelled up inside her. "You killed the girl and took her power!" Phoebe shouted. Piper backed away from her sister as she raged at her. "She was just a little girl! What the hell is wrong with you, Piper? How could you?"

"Don't snap at me," Piper shot back. A dam had burst, and all of Piper's fury came spilling out in one great tidal wave. "I'm the one trying to hold this family together! We're the almighty Charmed Ones, and what can we do? Freeze time, see the future- orb in place?" She shot a nasty look at Paige, before turning back to Phoebe. "We need more power than that, Phoebe, and that little girl had one that can stop any demon or warlock in his tracks. I did this to _help_ us!"

Phoebe was speechless. Who was this person in front of her? It couldn't be her sister, her sweet older sister who was so shy as a teenager she couldn't look a boy in the eye; who loved to cook and hang out at home on Saturday nights; who could barely stand the sight of blood. "God. Is that how you see it, Piper? You _killed_ her, in cold blood. Witches don't kill, warlocks do." She turned to Leo. "And neither do Whitelighters."

"Can't there be exceptions?" Paige wanted to know, hopelessly lost. She desperately searched for a way to make the situation right. "Piper wasn't doing it out of evil-"

"Shut up!" Piper snapped. "I don't need you to defend me." She walked closer to Paige. "You think you can come in, replace Prue, and act like we're all sisters- like we're _family_?"

"I never tried to replace Prue, Piper," Paige said carefully, backing away slowly like one would when confronted with a vicious animal.

Piper snorted. "Sure you didn't." She lowered her eyes at her baby sister menacingly. Her fingers flexed, as if she were preparing to do some serious magic.

Cole stepped in front of Paige and held out his hand, powering up a fireball. "Don't come any closer, Piper."

To his surprise, she just laughed. "Oh, Cole," Piper sighed. A blue energy ball formed in her hand. She stared back at him icily. "I'm not afraid of you."

"When the hell did you start throwing energy balls?" Phoebe asked quickly. 

"Energy balls and blinking- the two standard powers for warlocks," Leo explained. An energy ball also formed in his hand. Phoebe's eyes widened. "Powers that can be shared across a matrimonial union." He tossed the energy ball at her.

Piper hurled the energy ball at Paige. Her sister orbed in place; the energy ball connected with a vase, hurtling chunks of porcelain all over the hallway.

Thinking fast, Phoebe ducked the energy ball. She moved to dropkick Leo, but he blinked away before she could hit him. She whirled around, just in time to duck another one of his energy balls. "What the hell, Leo? You're our Whitelighter!" she shouted.

Leo shook his head, the look on his face downright sinister. "I'm Piper's husband first," he told her before tossing a third energy ball at his sister-in-law.

Cole threw a fireball at Piper, scorching her shoulder. She cried out in pain. "You bastard!" she hollered, her eyes blazing hotter than any fireball could. She flicked a wrist; the hall table exploded, knocking Paige backwards. From her free hand, a thread of ice emerged, wrapping Cole's form in an icy cocoon before he could shimmer away.

Leo was about to toss another energy ball at Phoebe, but he stopped suddenly, his body suddenly covered in blue orbs. The blue orbs traveled out of him, up through the ceiling and disappeared. Leo fell to his knees. His eyes widened and he gasped, as if he were choking.

"Cole!" Phoebe gasped, running to him, just as Piper saw Leo fall to the ground.

"Leo, oh my God… what's wrong?" Piper knelt down beside him, taking him into her arms.

"My powers are gone," he told her weakly. "The Elders- they've cut my wings. I'm human now." He looked into Piper's eyes, and gave her a small, sarcastic smile. "I guess there's no such thing as an evil Whitelighter."

"We're _not_ evil, Leo."

"Well, we're not good anymore, Piper," he replied curtly. "There is no middle ground here."

Phoebe pounded her hands on Cole's icy form, trying to crack the ice. Her furious hammering didn't even leave a mark. "Undo this!" she ordered Piper. "Fix him!"

"Or what?" Piper said with a growl as she helped Leo to his feet. He could hardly stand.

"If you do it, we won't have to vanquish you," Paige said firmly, taking Phoebe's hand. "You are a warlock, after all."

It had finally been said: Piper and Leo had drawn a line in the sand, one they could never erase. Her heart sinking, Piper looked at her sisters. "Phoebe… Paige…" Her throat was thick, and her eyes heavy with unspilled tears. "Please, we can fix this. It doesn't have to be this way. I did this _for_ you!"

"No, Piper," Phoebe said. She was getting choked up too, but her eyes were clear. "Leave, and don't come back." Paige said nothing, but there was a visible quiver in her throat.

Piper was speechless. She looked at her sisters, and then at her husband. Putting her hand into the pocket of her pajama pants, Piper felt for the medallion the Source had given her. The Elders had abandoned them; so had her family. He was the only one they could turn to now.

Piper waved her hand; the ice instantly melted into a pool at Phoebe and Paige's feet. Cole, soaking wet and shaking, fell to the floor. Phoebe knelt down beside him, as Paige stared coldly at Piper and Leo.

With one hand Piper gripped her medallion, and in the other, the hand of her husband. She blinked them both to the Underworld, leaving her past, and her family, forever.

-----

Piper blinked into the Underworld, surrounded by dark, craggy rock, clutching her ailing husband. "Where are you?" she shouted, her voice hoarse. Leo clung to her hand, his knees hitting the floor heavily. "Damn it, you said you'd come if I used this thing!"

She threw the medallion on the stone floor; it beamed brightly. A moment later, in a burst of flames, the Source appeared. "Piper," the words emerged from beneath that velvet hood. She found his voice much silkier and alluring than the last time they'd spoken. Was that a spell or charm he used, or did the common bond of killing witches unite them in some type of sick brotherhood? "What can I do for you?"

"My sisters disowned me," she said heavily, kneeling on the floor to support Leo. Some color had returned to his cheeks, but his eyes were hazy. "The Elders cut my husband's wings." Piper looked up at the menacing figure that had killed Prue by proxy; and who she now was seeking comfort from. "There's nowhere else for us to go."

Sympathy, so pure and generous it surprised Piper, filled the Source's voice. "You are welcome here," he told her. He waved his hand; a stone chair appeared. Piper helped Leo to his feet, and he sat back on the chair. "Your sisters did not appreciate you, my dear. You were only trying to aid them, and they turned you away." Piper lowered her eyes; a few stray tears slipped out, rolling down her face. "But I have great use of your talents, Piper. Take the Dark Orders, and you will be the most powerful Priestess in the Underworld. Demon and warlock alike will bow before you."

"What about Leo?" she asked. "I won't go anywhere without him."

"Your husband is mortal now," the Source reminded her. "He has no powers, no magic. I have no use for him."

"Well, then you don't get me," Piper retorted, her face twisting with anger. She clutched Leo's hand with all of her strength. "You take both of us, or neither of us."

The Source considered this. The chance to have the eldest, most powerful Charmed One join the Dark Side was not something that he could easily give up. "You have convinced me. I will have an Alchemist bind his blood to the blood of an upper-level demon's, killing off his humanity and making him one of my most powerful demons."

Piper looked at Leo. "Is that what you want?" she asked him quietly. He sat beside her, silent as stone.

"Who cares what I want- do we have any other choice?" he wanted to know. He stretched a hand out to her face, wiping away her tears. "Your sisters will vanquish you if you go back, and I can't live the rest of a mortal life without you." A faint smile crossed her lips, and he grasped her face, stroking it softly. He took in a deep breath, and Piper could tell he had made his decision. Something defiant gleamed in his eyes. "We can gain all the power we can get our hands on here, away from the Elders, your sisters, or anyone who would be foolish enough to try and stop us."

"For a Whitelighter, you certainly think like a demon," the Source noted, sounding amused. "Are we agreed?"

Piper's heart was sinking. This was not how things were meant to be! She'd never meant to go down this path. She'd never see Phoebe again, or Paige and Cole; never again visit the house she grew up in, was married in; never get the chance to live the moral life she'd always dreamed of.

_Stop it,_ she ordered herself, in the cold, cruel voice that had started her down this path to begin with. Even now, she could taste the power becoming a Priestess would give her, more than she'd ever imagined. She could cast spells and brew potions without worrying about personal gain; collect powers without the burden of a human conscious. Piper and Leo would be free, of all earthly and Charmed responsibilities.

Piper looked into his eyes. They could remain here, in the Underworld, for eternity. Nothing could separate them now. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you, too," Leo replied, giving her a faint smile.

"Are we agreed?" the Source asked again.

Piper turned to face him, her new master. "We are."


	5. Chapter V

_2022_

"It was nice to have Prue home last night," Cole said that morning during breakfast. Lizzie was having a very teenage dilemma over what to wear, while Brianna was in the shower. Phoebe looked up from the lunches she was packing and smiled. "It was a nice surprise," she agreed.

But the sentiment in her voice didn't match her eyes. "What?" Cole asked her.

"Paige called fifteen minutes ago," Phoebe explained carefully. "She said Prue stopped by last night, asking about Piper and Leo." She set the two brown lunch bags aside, looking worried. "Why would she do that? I don't understand her interest in them."

Cole hesitated. The issue of Piper and Leo was a sore point in his relationship with Phoebe. They'd always disagreed on what to tell their children about their aunt and uncle. They hadn't even told the girls that they _had_ an aunt and uncle until Prue was ten.

"Maybe we haven't been as truthful as we could've been with the girls," Cole said slowly.

Phoebe's eyebrows shot up. "I have _never_ lied to our daughters," she reminded him, anger creeping into her tone.

"I know you haven't," Cole replied, trying not to get annoyed with her. "But we've told them very little. They know that Piper and Leo were married, Leo was a Whitelighter, and that they became evil after your sister died. Maybe we need to… fill in the blanks a little. Explain what led them to make the decisions they did."

Phoebe shook her head. "I think if Prue and Liz and Brianna want to know, they'll ask us." Her tight, severe tone informed Cole that the discussion was over.

Cole nodded, but fumed inside. He knew Phoebe didn't want to talk to the girls about Piper and Leo because it would be upsetting for _her_, not their children. It had been more than twenty years. Phoebe claimed to have moved on; but Cole wished that one day Phoebe could learn to put the past behind her.

-----

_2001_

"Phoebe?" Cole knocked gently on their bedroom door. "Phoebe, dinner's ready."

"I'm not hungry" came the reply from behind the wall. Cole could hear the TV on; he knew Phoebe wasn't really watching. The television was good company for the broken-hearted.

"We ordered in Chinese. Sweet and sour chicken, and wonton soup- all your favorites." Cole leaned his head against the door, feeling the cold wood press against his brow.

"I told you, I'm not hungry." Pause. "Maybe later."

It had been two weeks of Phoebe hiding in her room all day and coming out to eat when Cole and Paige were asleep; and there was no end in sight. Cole struggled to hold in a sigh. "All right."

He made his way to the kitchen, where Paige was opening a bag of egg rolls. She looked disappointed to see him alone. "She's still cooped up in there?"

"Yep." Cole put his head down on the table, feeling exhausted. Worrying about Phoebe all the time was draining. "This is worse than when Prue died. She was in mourning, of course, but she still got on with her life."

"This is a little different, Cole. Prue was murdered; she and Piper couldn't do a thing about that. But Piper- Phoebe feels like she could've saved her," Paige explained. "I felt the same way when my parents died. Obviously the situations were different, but not how I felt afterwards. I racked my brain, trying to figure out what I could've done differently, to have prevented it from happening."

"But your parents died in a car accident, you couldn't have done anything," Cole reminded her.

Paige rolled her eyes. "No kidding, Cole. I know that _now_. But then, it didn't matter. I loved my parents, and I felt as if I should have been able to save them. Phoebe feels the same way about Piper and Leo."

Cole nodded, beginning to understand. "So how do I help her? How do I help her move past this?"

"Give her time," Paige said. "It's not going to quick, and it's not going to be easy." Suddenly, she began to close up the Chinese food cartons she'd just opened. "Why don't you go upstairs now and try and talk to her? We can always reheat these."

Cole nodded. "That's a good idea." He stood up, and was about to head out of the kitchen, before he turned around. "Thanks, Paige."

She grinned as she shoved the brown paper bag into the refrigerator. "No problem."

-----

Phoebe watched the end credits of _Kill It Before It Dies_ roll by, still clutching her tissues. Over the past two weeks, she'd watched the movie at least once a day. It was the only thing that comforted her, her only tie to the past. It made Phoebe feel like her life was the same as it had always been. Sure, she had Cole and Paige, but neither had grown up in the Manor with her, been there every second of her life. Phoebe closed her eyes, trying to push those thoughts of Prue and Piper away. God, she missed them.

There was a knock on the door. "Phoebe?" It was Cole. "Can I please come in?"

That was the last thing she wanted. She just wanted to be left alone, with her movies, her tissues, her popcorn, and her movies. "I want to be alone," she said loudly through the door, pressing Stop and Rewind on the remote.

The air in front of the TV shimmered. "Talk to me, Phoebe, please," Cole begged, appearing before her. Phoebe ignored him, craning her arm around in an attempt to use the remote control even as her boyfriend stood in the way. "You can't stay in here forever."

"Why not?" Her eyes never met his.

"Because… life goes on," Cole said, exasperated. "You have to move on at some point."

Phoebe's face lifted, and her eyes zeroed in on Cole's. "Don't lecture me, Cole. I lost two sisters to evil in three months. I thought I could go on without Prue. I mean, I still had Piper, right?" Her chin began to tremble, and she struggled to sound firm. "But now she's gone, and Leo too… I can't do this anymore. I can't."

Cole sat down on the bed beside her, cradling her face, as tears slipped out of the corner of her eyes. "You're not alone. You have Paige now. And you'll always have me."

Phoebe shook her head. "I don't have you," she said, choked up. "Not if you're a demon." Before Cole could protest, she went on. "I want to be with you, baby, I want to be your wife. But after what happened to Piper and Leo- I just can't. You understand, don't you?"

Cole was silent, gripping her hand more tightly. "I do, I do understand. But I don't know if I can do what you want me to do."

Phoebe's eyes were stained with tears, but resolute. "Then I can't marry you."

Cole was quiet, considering this. Was Phoebe worth giving up for the ability to shimmer and throw fireballs? To give her security, to stop the onslaught of assassins constantly on his back? Yet- being a demon was part of him; it had been since the day he was born. Could he just give up an integral part of himself, forever?

But when he looked up into Phoebe's tear-filled eyes, he could see the pain in them. Cole knew a husband's job was to care for and protect his wife. If giving up his powers would make her happy, it would be the first of many things he would do to keep her happy, for the rest of their lives.

"Where's the potion?" he finally asked. Phoebe's eyes widened and she broke into a wide smile, choking back happy tears as she kissed Cole. That night, after Cole stripped his powers and became a mortal man, they started to plan their wedding.

-----

Young warlocks painted her eyelids coal black and her lips a deep, shimmering plum. Her ebony hair hung loose and flowing down her back, matching the color of her sacred robe. "An apprentice will bring you to the chamber when it is time for you to take the Orders," a young woman told her. "Is there anything else you need before the ceremony?"

"No. Leave me," Piper commanded. The three young warlocks blinked away, leaving Piper alone in the dark cavernous chamber. She sat down upon a high-backed stone chair that faced the wall, staring into space. She thought about nothing. There was nothing to think about.

"Piper." Her entire body went rigid at the sound of that voice. Piper's eyes widened.

_It can't be_, she thought to herself. In one fluid motion, she stood and whirled around. Piper pressed her hand to her heart when she saw the woman in front of her. "Prue?" she said softly.

Before her, her dead sister stood. Prue looked so beautiful. Every inch of her porcelain skin glowed; her hair was long and glossy, flowing around her neck and shoulders as if blown by a soft breeze. Even her dress- a simple white shift- was a purer shade of white than Piper had ever seen; it hurt her eyes with its luminosity. But her gorgeous blue eyes were filled with pain.

"What are you doing here?" Piper asked sharply, regaining her composure. She squeezed her eyes shut, forcing back any trace of tears. "You're dead. This is a trick."

"You're right. I'm dead. But I'm not gone. I never left you, Piper, not really," Prue said, walking toward her sister, stretching her hand out for her sister to take. Piper backed away.

"You're not real," Piper snapped at the ghostly figure. "You're a trick from the Elders, to get me to come back."

"No, they don't know I'm here. Grams and Mom helped me- I don't have time to explain, I can't stay long," Prue told her quickly. "Please listen to me. You can't go through with this. You can't join the Source."

"I killed a _witch_, Prue. Or haven't you been paying attention? I thought you've always been there, watching me," Piper said in a mocking tone.

"It's not too late to atone for your mistakes," her sister pleaded with her, urgency in her voice. "Cole did. Others have, and so can you."

"Cole had Phoebe. He had a reason to be good. Phoebe and Paige turned their back on me- their own sister!" Piper hissed, clenching her fists. "And the Elders stripped Leo of his powers. There's nothing left for us up there. The only person who showed us any compassion was the Source."

"The Source," Prue repeatedly coldly. "The one who sent Shax. The one who had me killed."

Piper didn't have anything she could say to that. She turned away from the apparition of her sister. "I gave my life for you, Piper," Prue reminded her coldly, "and I would do it again, given the chance. Now you're joining the man who had me killed. Did my death mean nothing to you?"

Piper whirled around. "God, how can you say that? Your death was the reason I _did_ all this! I was following in your footsteps. I was trying to protect my family, by boosting my powers-"

"Don't even start with that," Prue cut off her sister sharply. "I don't believe that for a second. That may have been the reason you started messing around with magic, but I know that by the time you killed the witch, your priorities had changed. You wanted power, you and Leo both."

Even beneath the heavy robes and heavier makeup, Piper's anger was clear. "If that's what you believe, then why do you want so desperately to save me?" she spat.

A long, shimmering tear dropped down Prue's ghostly face. "Because you're my sister. I love you."

Piper shook her head. "My first priority is Leo now. He's the only one who's stood by me, the only one who didn't abandon me."

"But your family-"

"I don't have a family anymore." Prue was stunned into silence. Piper smiled, pleased with Prue's reaction. "The only people I need are Leo, and the Source."

Prue's resolve weakened with Piper's words. She looked at her younger sister, clad in dark robes, smeared with ritualistic paint. Her eyes were dark and hollow; her smile was wicked. Piper _enjoyed_ the pain she was causing Prue. It was then that Prue knew that her baby sister could not be saved.

A warlock blinked into the chamber. "The Priest is ready for you now."

Piper looked back towards Prue, but she was gone.

-----

When Piper took her Dark Orders, she drank human blood, and had the inverted pentagram tattooed on the small of her back: a symbol of her femininity, and of her physical and sexual power. The Priest anointed her forehead in oil, and bestowed upon her a medallion, denoting to her to any dark arts practitioner as a Dark Priestess. Even in those first few moments, she could feel new power flowing through her.

Leo's conversion was more painful. The Alchemist drew his blood, and blended it with several demonic breeds, binding it with ancient dark magic. He stuck a needle in Leo's arm and injected it into his veins, as they tattooed primordial symbols around his neck of power and protection. Leo wouldn't remember the process of becoming a demon at all, except for the white-hot pain that ripped through his body, which temporarily blinded him and had him sick and weakened for days, as the serum shredded his human cells and replaced them with demonic ones.

Piper was by his side during his conversion, nursing him to health. Already she had mastered her new powers. She could shimmer, throw energy balls, conjure objects and use telekinesis, in addition to ice manipulation and her freezing and exploding powers. Many demons and warlocks came to her, wanting to know if the former Charmed One could create potions and charms as powerful as the other Priests and Priestesses. The answer? Yes, of course- and they were more powerful than anyone expected.

When Leo was restored to health, he was invigorated by his new powers. He too could shimmer and throw fireballs, as well as having superhuman strength, telekinesis, conjuration and the ability to create electricity. Now that he was a demon, Leo joined the Source's other assassins, taking out witches and enemy demons, and stealing their powers. He even took on a demon moniker, just as Cole had: Malaphar.

The Source gave them an abandoned church in a secluded wood for their home, protected by a multitude ancient spells. Piper brewed potions and created charms while Leo hunted witches and rogue demons. Time passed quickly. Both Piper and Leo quickly lost track of the mortal days, completely adapting to their new lives. The two were revered in the Underworld not only for their power, but more interestingly, for their devotion to each other.

Leo, from his days as a Whitelighter, had always been taught that evil couldn't love. Quickly he discovered that was just one lie out of many, force-fed to him by the Elders. In their secluded home, his and Piper's love grew even stronger, without the worries of everyday life to hold them back.

They rarely thought back to their old life. Occasionally an acquaintance would mention a friend vanquished by Paige, or a sighting of the now-powerless Belthazor with his witch bride during a Harpy attack, cowering behind a couch; but those occasions were few and far between. Leo wanted to attack the Manor every once in awhile, to steal the remaining Charmed powers, but Piper always refused. She wanted her new life to remain entirely separate from her old one. But that was not meant to be.


	6. Chapter VI

Author's Note: fairymusic asked if Wyatt was still heir to Excalibur in this story. He is- technically. However, in this alternate future, the Lady of the Lake never went to the Charmed Ones for help, so Wyatt and his family have no knowledge of the fact he is heir to Excalibur. Good question!

-----

_2022_

Leo stood just outside of the Ceremonial Chambers, watching Piper perform the Handfasting on the two young warlocks. They were powerful for ones so young: this marriage would amplify their powers, and could have a great impact on their careers.

Chris stood in the corner while Piper blessed their union, carrying the chalice of Blood Wine: a combination of the two warlocks' blood, mixed into a Power Strengthening Potion. Leo eyed his son carefully. Piper doted on him, yet he was nowhere near as strong as Wyatt. Chris hated going on assignment for the Source. He viewed killing witches as little more than detested chores; he preferred to spend his time researching medieval spells and ancient magical practices. Compared to Wyatt, Chris was an embarrassment.

When Piper finished her blessing, Chris offered them the chalice. The male and female each drank, and sealed their union with a dark kiss. Thanking Piper, the two warlocks blinked away. Piper turned to her son. "Thank you," she told him sincerely. Chris said nothing, but nodded, giving his mother a grateful smile.

Leo cleared his throat as he entered the room. Both Piper and Chris turned to him. Chris swallowed painfully at the sight of his father; the disdain was mutual. "Christopher," Leo said sternly. "I need to speak to your mother. Alone."

"Say no more," his son muttered under his breath, happy to leave. Chris gave his mother a quick kiss on the cheek before shimmering away.

"You don't have to be so mean to him," Piper said to Leo. "It's not his fault he's not as powerful as Wyatt."

"He doesn't even _try_ to-" Leo began bitterly, his eyes on the spot where his son stood moments ago. He stopped himself mid-sentence, shaking his head, before turning to look at Piper again. "I gave Wyatt my sword."

"And?" Piper asked, raising her eyebrows.

Leo grinned broadly. "He took to it like he was born with it in his hand. He can wield it with more power than I or the Source ever could."

"I'm not surprised. Our son is very powerful." Piper looked at Leo curiously; the expression on his face told her he was plotting something. "What?"

He shook his head, waving his hand carelessly. "Nothing, just- an inkling of an idea."

"What kind of inkling?" Piper inquired, narrowing her eyes at her husband.

Before he could answer, there was a series of dark tones, like the lowest notes of a pipe organ: the Source was calling. "I'll tell you when I return," Leo promised her, giving Piper a kiss before he shimmered away. Piper crossed her arms uncomfortably. Chris's vision was still on her mind; she didn't need anything else to worry about.

-----

_2002_

Phoebe stared at the pregnancy test in her hands, trying to convince her brain to believe her eyes. It was positive. Phoebe took in a deep breath, her mind racing. She and Cole had been married for nearly six months, and they had just started trying to have a baby. It was unbelievable to her that she could pregnant already.

Tossing the test in the garbage, Phoebe went to her bedroom. She needed to call the doctor, who could confirm the results with a blood test in a day or so; and Cole, of course, who was back working in the D.A.'s office (all the charges against him from when he was a demon had been inexplicably cleared, although Phoebe suspected that a relative "up there" had played a part in that). Then she'd have to call Paige, who had just been promoted to Social Worker.

Phoebe smiled when she thought about her sister. Paige would be thrilled to hear she was pregnant. They'd become a lot closer since The Incident (the words she used to refer to when Piper and Leo left them). She'd been by Phoebe's side, sitting with her when she cried for hours; buying her pints and pints of ice cream; helping her apply to graduate programs.

Yes, Phoebe, the girl who everyone in the family was once afraid would never amount to anything, was getting her Master's in Psychology, starting a career, and was happily married with a baby on the way. It was unbelievable to her, how many things had changed in just a year. She'd lost two sisters and a brother-in-law; but had gained another sister, a husband… and soon enough, a child.

The phone was hidden under a pile of newspapers. Phoebe grabbed the stack to move it away- and was caught in the middle of a vision.

_A young blonde witch, standing in an alley, a lit cigarette in her hand. Phoebe couldn't see the demon's face, but he hurled a fireball at her. The witch quickly held up her hand; a blue shield appeared in front of her and the fireball was absorbed into it. The demon held up both hands. Green electricity flew from his fingers towards the young witch. The witch's shield sputtered and died against his electrical attack, wrapping around her like vines, shocking her to death._

Phoebe gasped when the vision ended. Looking down at the paper, she saw the vision's trigger: an interview with the young blonde witch, on the cover of the Arts section.

When she set the paper down on the bed, she noticed her hands, no- her entire body was shaking; the vision had felt so real. Immediately Phoebe picked up the phone to call Paige: her pregnancy news could wait.

-----

Jillian Richter. She was a senior at the San Francisco Art Institute, studying Photography. Twenty-two years old, she had a long, lithe frame; short, spiky blonde hair; and crystalline blue eyes. None of that mattered to Leo. What mattered most was that she was a witch, and the Seer had foreseen her rising to a high position in her coven; it was an act that would do a great deal of harm to the Underworld, and the reason the Source sent him to kill her.

He watched her leave her apartment, schoolbag in hand. A silver medallion, forged by a demon craftsman and consecrated by Piper, made Leo invisible to the human eye. He followed the witch; she was completely unaware that a vicious demon was on her tail.

The Source watched this from the Underworld blissfully. _Imagine this!_ he thought to himself. In seventy-five hundred years as a demon, five hundred of those as the Source, he never thought that a former Whitelighter would enter his service as an assassin, and end up a damn good one at that. Leo's conversion had obliterated any soul that may have been left within him, as had Piper's.

He hadn't bothered going after the other two sisters, now that the Power of Three was forever broken. Phoebe's powers were the weakest, and Paige was still new to the Craft; there was no point in killing off two witches who posed no threat to the Underworld. And now that, according to his best spies, Belthazor was human, the Halliwell family was of no concern to him.

"You look pleased, my liege," the Seer said as she appeared before him in a flash of light.

"I am, indeed," he replied, mirth in his voice. "Things are going better than anyone could have foreseen- even _you_, Seer." Her dark lips curled into a knowing smile.

Jillian ducked into a nearby alley, pulling a cigarette and lighter from her purse. Leo smiled; this girl was making it too easy. He craved a bit of a challenge.

He tore off Piper's medallion, and Jillian's eyes widened as Leo became visible. "Hello, witch," he greeted her before powering up a fireball.

The Source laughed, loudly and maniacally.

-----

Phoebe parked the car just outside the alley. Paige was in a meeting she couldn't get of, so Phoebe had decided to go this one alone- even though Paige had said to wait for her. But that vision had been so intense, Phoebe knew it couldn't wait. A potion tucked neatly in her pocket, she hurried into the alley.

Turning the corner, the demon's back was to her. Jillian stood in the corner of the alley, eyes wide with fear.

She acted quickly. Phoebe spun around, kicking the demon to the ground. "Get out of here!" she shouted. The witch ran away as quickly as she could. Phoebe held up her fists, in perfect fighting stance. "You picked the wrong witch to mess with."

The demon stood up, and faced her for the first time. "I should've expected to see you eventually," he said in an eerily familiar voice.

Phoebe's eyes widened, and her words were suddenly caught in her throat. Leo, completely different from the last time she saw him. Dressed in the dark suit typical of assassins, his body was broader and stronger than it had been, thanks to his demonic conversion. His blond hair was longer, delicately cradling his youthful face, but his blue eyes were fierce and cold. On his neck, in black ink, were a series of runes in an ancient demonic language that Phoebe couldn't even begin to guess how to read.

He was an angel no longer, she realized. Phoebe often wondered what had become of Piper and Leo, but for some reason, she never imagined that they would actually join the Source, or that she would be forced to go into battle against one of them. She looked into Leo's eyes for some sort of recognition, a sign that the demon before her was once her Whitelighter, her brother-in-law… but she found nothing there.

"Leo-"

"Actually, my demonic name is Malaphar." His eyes danced as he saw the disturbed expression on Phoebe's face. "It's a good name- strikes fear in the heart of witches, a little more than 'Leo' does. I got the idea from Belthazor- or Cole." He grinned, bearing bright white teeth against pallid skin. "How is Cole?"

"Human," Phoebe told him sharply. "How is Piper?"

"_Not_ human." Leo's grin widened. "And as fun as this back and forth game is, I'm bored." Leo powered a fireball and sent it flying.

Phoebe leaped into the air, levitating just above the fireball. The fireball met with the wall, burning out.

"That's right. I always forget that you don't have any good powers." Leo powered up another fireball, bouncing it up and down in his hand as Phoebe hovered six feet from the ground. "If you'd brought Paige, you'd at least have a form of transportation."

"I don't need fireballs to kick your ass," Phoebe snarled.

Leo's amusement grew. He swaggered towards her, giving her a cocky smile. "Come on Phoebe, what are you going to do? Premonition me to death?"

With a sharp cry, Phoebe flew through the air towards Leo, kicking him in the head. He staggered backwards, quenching his fireball with his hand. Blood, a strange red-green mixture, oozed from his head. Phoebe dropped to the ground and pulled her potion out her pocket, tossing it at Leo.

Just before the potion could hit him, Leo let loose a stream of electricity, blowing up the bottle midair. Phoebe's heart sank: stupidly, she'd only brought one bottle. "Have you used up all your tricks yet?" he asked, wiping away the blood that was dripping into his eyes. Leo shimmered away.

Phoebe spun around wildly, fists raised, her heart pounding. Leo hadn't just left. Where had he gone?

Suddenly she was in a headlock, and Leo's voice was in her ear. She struggled to get out of his tight grip, but he was too strong. "Come on, Phoebe, what did you think? I'd see my old sister-in-law, and my humanity would be restored? You know better than that. You know evil. Hell, you were _screwing_ it." There was bitterness in his voice. "How you could condemn us for our actions, while forgiving Cole for his- it boggles my mind." While Leo gripped Phoebe's neck with his left arm, he extended his right hand. In a flash of black light he conjured an athame. "I wonder how much a Charmed One's powers would go for on the black market."

Phoebe's eyes fluttered, opening and closing. The choke hold Leo had on her made her increasingly dizzy. She barely noticed the flash of blue orbs just in front of her.

"Paige," Leo greeted her. "Looks like we've got ourselves a family reunion here."

Paige didn't waste time with banter. "Athame!" The knife in Leo's hand disappeared in a flurry of orbs, reappearing in Paige's hand.

Leo dropped Phoebe's body. She fell to the ground, coughing and sputtering. "You want to play, too, Paige? This is a game for big kids; you've only just begun to play."

"Shut up," she snapped, but her eyes were filled with fear. Leo just laughed to himself. In a moment of pure, unadulterated fury, Paige threw the athame with all her might into Leo's torso.

He doubled over in pain, a victim of the poison his own wife had consecrated the athame with. "Damn you!" he spat, still managing to power up a fireball and throw it at Paige. She orbed away before it could hit her, reappearing next to Phoebe. Leo extended his hand, and let a bolt of electricity shoot out. Paige grabbed her sister and orbed them both back to the Manor before they were electrocuted.

-----

Paige settled her sister on the couch. Phoebe had regained consciousness, but she was shaken and sore. "What the hell is wrong with you?" she asked Phoebe angrily. "I _told_ you to wait until I was done at work, so we could get the demon together."

"I thought I could take care of him by myself," Phoebe explained to her wearily, sounding pissed. She lay out on the couch, massaging her temples. "And I almost had him too."

"Are you crazy?" Paige asked her, cocking an eyebrow. "Because the demon _I_ saw across from us not only threw fireballs and conjured weapons, but shot some nasty electricity from his hands. Leo would've _killed_ you if I hadn't come when I did."

"But-" Phoebe protested.

"You stopped him from killing that witch. That was your job; that was all you needed to do."

"Yeah, but now he'll just go and kill another witch." Phoebe shook her head, disgusted with her sister. "And you let him go!"

"Phoebe, don't you get it?" Paige exclaimed. "We're not the Charmed Ones anymore! We don't have the power to stop demons like him anymore. We're just not powerful enough."

Her sister said nothing. She sat silently for a long moment, staring out into space. Paige instantly regretted her words. She sat down beside her sister, taking her hand. "I'm sorry, Pheebs. I didn't-"

Phoebe shook her head. "You're right, Paige. You don't have to apologize. Sometimes I forget that things just… aren't the way they used to be."

"It's OK," Paige assured her, massaging her hand. "Don't feel guilty."

Phoebe nodded, resting her hand on her stomach. Paige's sentiment was good, but she didn't buy a word of it. She'd lost her sister and brother-in-law to evil; and no matter how much time passed, or progress she made in her life, she'd always feel guilty that she hadn't been able to save them.

-----

Leo shimmered back to Piper, who nursed his wounds, but not without complaint. "What the hell were you doing, going up against them?" she snapped. Leo lay on their bed, holding his bleeding stomach. Piper held out her hand; her healing supplies, bound in a leather valise, flew from her workspace onto the bedside table. "I can't believe they got you with your athame," she muttered under her breath.

"I wasn't fighting your sisters for my personal enjoyment. I was trying to kill the witch. They showed up and ruined my kill," he told her angrily as Piper applied a blisteringly painful cream over the wound in his stomach. The hole began to shrink, the layers of tissue and muscle healing rapidly.

"Don't call them that, they're not my sisters anymore," she ordered him as she began to bandage him up. "They're just witches now."

Leo didn't buy that. He snorted. "Sure they are. And Shax was just another demon."

He'd gone too far. Piper's eyes narrowed. Like clockwork, a trio of potion bottles on the shelves behind her exploded in synchronized order. He hadn't seen her so angry for a while now. "Don't you _dare_-" she began in a low, menacing tone.

"Piper-" Leo began quickly.

"The Underworld may know you as Malaphar, but I still remember Leo Wyatt, the pathetic Whitelighter who couldn't hurt a fly." Leo scowled, but said nothing. Her eyes were filled with cold delight. She was hurting him, and she was enjoying it. "Don't bring up the past if you can't stomach it."

Piper finished bandaging up his stomach and began to inspect his head. Leo stopped her, taking her face in his hands and giving her a long kiss. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you. You know I love you more than anything."

She dipped her fingers into a pot of cool cream and applied a healing balm to the wound on Leo's forehead. The wound immediately began to shrink. "I know." She placed a kiss on his forehead. Leo grabbed her by the waist, and with a girlish coo from Piper, pulled her into his lap. "Forgive me?" he said, pleading in his voice.

"I suppose," she replied coyly, her fingertips outlining the edges of Leo's lips. He kissed them lightly and began to nibble on them. Piper smiled; she liked Leo showering with affection. She heaved a heavy sigh, causing him to only increase his kisses. "If only because I don't want our son born into a broken family."

Leo continued to kiss Piper's hand, but his eyes widened and looked up into her face. He removed his mouth from her fingers to speak. "Our what?"

Piper smiled at him. Her skin was gleaming, and her eyes were bright. "You know I've been feeling ill for the past week, and I finally decided to see a Priestess who specializes in healing. I'm pregnant, Leo."

He didn't know how to respond. "Is that- is that even possible? A demon, and a Priestess?"

Piper just shook her head. "You know better to question biology. Magic works differently." She grew serious as her fingers entangled their way through Leo's blood-soaked hair. "I also paid the Seer a visit, to see if she could foresee anything about our child."

"And?"

"Our baby," Piper began slowly, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice, "will be the most powerful magical creature to walk the planet. His powers will be immense, and uncountable."

Leo turned away from her, looking pensive. He didn't say anything for a long time. "What? What's wrong?" Piper asked worriedly.

"Nothing," he said, his voice sounding distant. "It's just, the future we saw- we had a daughter."

Piper briefly remembered back to that visit to the future, almost three years ago. "There's a lot of things that occurred in that future that haven't come to pass," she reminded him gently. Leo nodded.

Slowly, Piper's words became more and more real to him, and Leo felt a broad smile appear on his face. "We're having a son," he said to her, almost giddily. He gripped her hands tightly, giving her a long, passionate kiss.

"The most powerful boy this world has ever seen," Piper replied when she pulled away, mirth in her tone. She rested one hand on her stomach, feeling anxious; she couldn't help but wonder about her child's future, and what it would mean to the rest of the world.


End file.
